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Invocator are a Danish
technical thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
band featuring
Esbjerg Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport town and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban population of 71,698 (1 January 2022)
-based guitarist/singer Jacob Hansen, founder of the band. They are considered influential on the European thrash metal/heavy metal scene, and known for incorporating elements from
death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
, thrash metal,
groove metal Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre achieved success in the 1990s and continued having success in the 2000s. Inspired by thrash metal and traditional heavy metal, groove metal features raspy ...
and
progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad :Fusion music genres, fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven s ...
into their style.


History


Demos and ''Excursion Demise''

Invocator's first demo proper ''Genetic Confusion'' was released in 1988 (the band had released a live demo in 1987). The band played numerous shows in support of the demo, supporting the Danish thrash metal act
Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
, among others. The following demo, ''Alterations'', which sold nearly 2000 copies, was released in 1989. Following up on the demo, the band played successful shows with major acts such as Entombed,
Edge of Sanity Edge of Sanity was a Swedish death metal band that, alongside Opeth, is commonly regarded as being the first to fuse extreme metal styles like death and black metal with progressive rock. The group was founded by Dan Swanö in 1989 and ended in ...
,
Psychotic Waltz Psychotic Waltz is a progressive metal band formed in El Cajon, California in 1988. Biography The first incarnation of the band was under the name Aslan, after a character in the novel '' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' by C. S. Lewis. W ...
,
Gorefest Gorefest was a Dutch death metal band from Goes in Zeeland. It was founded in 1989 by Jan-Chris de Koeijer, Frank Harthoorn, Alex van Schaik and Marc Hoogendoorn. History Within two months of existence Gorefest recorded their first demo. A ...
, and Incubus (now
Opprobrium Opprobrium may refer to: * Opprobrium, disgrace arising from exceedingly shameful conduct (see shame) * Opprobrium (band) Opprobrium (formerly known as Incubus) is an American death metal band from Metairie, Louisiana, United States. The band w ...
). Having signed with
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
/
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
label
Black Mark Production Black Mark Production (founded 1991) is an independent record label originally based in Berlin, later on with offices in Stockholm, Toronto and New York City etc. Black Mark Production today is a worldwide operating business placed in Villa Ham ...
, Invocator released their debut album, ''Excursion Demise'' which was recorded at Montezuma Studios in 1991,
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
where the likes of Memento Mori and Edge Of Sanity had also recorded albums. The album received a nomination for the Danish Grammy for "best heavy metal album of the year". In support of the album, Invocator played numerous shows with the likes of (
Evil Dead ''Evil Dead'' is an American horror film franchise created by Sam Raimi consisting of four feature films and a television series. The series revolves around the ''Necronomicon Ex-Mortis'', an ancient Sumerian text that wreaks havoc upon a gro ...
,
Lȧȧz Rockit Lȧȧz Rockit was an American thrash metal band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1981. They are most notable for their association with the Bay Area thrash metal scene of the 1980s, and they are considered to be one of the scene's so cal ...
,
Atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
,
Suffocation Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can i ...
,
Asphyx Asphyx is a Dutch death metal band that was formed in Overijssel in 1987. History The band was formed in 1987 by Bob Bagchus and Tony Brookhuis. Joost was picked up for vocals and bass, but was replaced by Chuck Colli after the release of ...
, Immolation,
Bolt Thrower Bolt Thrower were an English death metal band from Coventry. They formed in 1986 and released their first album with Vinyl Solution in 1988. The band then shifted to a new record label, Earache Records, soon becoming one of the best selling b ...
,
Benediction A benediction (Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the expositio ...
,
Massacre A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...
,
Pungent Stench Pungent Stench is a death metal band from Vienna, Austria, formed in 1988. Their last known lineup consists of Martin Schirenc (vocals/guitar), Danny Vacuum (vocals/bass), and Mike G. Mayhem (drums). Pungent Stench achieved early on prominence in ...
,
Atrocity Atrocity or ''Atrocities'' or ''Atrocious'' may refer to: * Atrocity (band), a German metal band * ''Atrocities'' (album), the fourth album by Christian Death * Mass atrocity crimes, international crimes of genocide, war crimes, and crimes agains ...
etc.) and toured with renowned US metal act Dark Angel throughout Europe in 1992. The tour was followed by Invocator supporting
Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
at their Danish "Arise" show in Saga in Copenhagen and then at the
Roskilde Festival The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...
, playing in front of 5,000 people. Musically, the album and the early demos fall under the genre rubric of death-thrash metal, containing several extremely fast and aggressive parts, including original lead guitarist' Jakob Schulz' fast Slayer-inspired solos. The average song of that era typically consisting of several different parts and numerous tempo changes, Invocator's early style displays some of the emphasis on technicality and progressivity that would characterize their later releases.


''Weave the Apocalypse'' and ''Dying to Live''

Invocator went through both musical and line-up changes in the time between their first and second albums. The original line-up, which included Jacob Hansen, Jakob Schulz, Jesper M. Jensen and Per M. Jensen, was abandoned as Perle Hansen took up the duty as new lead guitarist, and Per Jakobsen took over the bass duties. The band's new style, which was previewed on a promo tape in 1992, retained the complexity of the debut album, but emphasis on speed had been abandoned an even higher focus on technicality and progressivity taking its place. Not only were Perle Hansen's lead guitar more complex and nuanced than the lead guitar on the debut album, Per M. Jensen's drumming had also become very complex and progressive compared to the high speed pounding of ''Excursion Demise''. The recording of their second album Weave The Apocalypse began in 1993 with engineer/producer
Eric Greif Eric Greif (1962 – 2021) was an American lawyer and entertainment personality known for a management and record production career within the heavy metal musical genre in the 1980s and early 1990s, and later within the legal profession. He was ...
, (uncredited)
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
co-producer (''
Spiritual Healing Energy medicine is a branch of alternative medicine based on a pseudo-scientific belief that healers can channel "healing energy" into a patient and effect positive results. Practitioners use a number of names including various synonyms for m ...
'') and manager, at Elsound Studio in
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
. The release was well received and garnered positive reviews. ''Weave the Apocalypse'' is remembered by fans and critics alike as perhaps the strongest Invocator record in terms of songs, musicianship and production. The band toured with
Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse (poetry), verse. A second edition fo ...
on their "Icon" Denmark tour, and Invocator recorded two cover songs for a CD, entitled ''Early Years'', featuring their old demo tapes in a remastered version – namely, "The Promise Of Agony" by Dark Angel and "The Eternal War" by Artillery. ''Early Years'' marked a label change from Black Mark to Progress/Die Hard Music. ''Dying To Live'', the band's third album, which musically combines groove metal with the technicality of the predecessor, was recorded and released in 1995, with another line-up change preceding it, as bassist Per Jakobsen being replaced by Carsten Mikkelsen. During a Denmark tour to support the album, the chemistry within the band suffered from different musical directions desired by its different members and the band decided to split the same year. While Per M. Jensen subsequently performed and recorded with Artillery,
Konkhra Konkhra is a Danish death metal/extreme metal band formed in Køge in 1989. History Konkhra is an extreme metal band from Denmark who blend death metal, groove metal, mid-tempo, and thrash. They are often compared to Machine Head, Entombed, ...
, and
Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ba ...
and would ultimately join
The Haunted Haunted or The Haunted may refer to: Books * ''Haunted'' (Armstrong novel), by Kelley Armstrong, 2005 * ''Haunted'' (Cabot novel), by Meg Cabot, 2004 * ''Haunted'' (Palahniuk novel), by Chuck Palahniuk, 2005 * ''Haunted'' (Angel novel), a 200 ...
, Jacob Hansen pursued a successful career as a producer, working with death metallers Pestilence, neo-rockers The Storm, hard rockers
Pretty Maids Pretty Maids is a Danish hard rock/Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Horsens. Formed in 1981 by Ken Hammer, and completed with Ronnie Atkins in 1982, their sound and music can be described as classic guitar-laden heavy rock with a strong ...
,
Volbeat Volbeat are a Danish rock band formed in Copenhagen in 2001. They play a fusion of rock and roll, heavy metal, and rockabilly. Their current line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Michael Poulsen, guitarist Rob Caggiano, drummer Jon Lars ...
, and progressive metallers
Cryoshell Cryoshell (often stylized as C R Y O S H E L L) is a Danish rock band from Copenhagen formed in 2006. The line-up consists of lead vocalist Christine Lorentzen, guitarist Kasper Søderlund and keyboardist Mikkel Maltha. In the band's early ye ...
and
Anubis Gate Anubis Gate is a power metal band from Denmark. Despite having formed Anubis Gate only in 2003, the members have regularly worked together since 1984. They have released eight studio albums, a six-CD boxset and two singles/EPs. History The ba ...
among others; Hansen eventually joined the latter as their lead vocalist (Anubis Gate also features former Invocator bassist Jesper Jensen, who had also had a stint with Geronimo) and also took up guitar duties in progressive metal band
Beyond Twilight Beyond Twilight is a progressive metal band from Denmark. History The band was originally formed by Finn Zierler in 1992 under the name "Twilight". Twilight attracted international attention releasing the debut album ''Eye For An Eye'' selling 2 ...
.


''Through the Flesh to the Soul'' and the 2010 ''Headbangers Ball Tour''

In the early 2000s, Jacob Hansen started to write new songs together with guitarist Flemming C. Lund, known for his work with Autumn Leaves and The Arcane Order, and a temporary drummer was found in Brian Rasmussen from Behind The Curtain and
Mnemic Mnemic was a Danish heavy metal band formed in Aalborg in 1998. The band personally described themselves as "Future Fusion Metal". Mnemic have charted in the top 100 in Denmark with ''The Audio Injected Soul'' and were the first Danish metal ...
, and in 2002 a demo was released. ''Through the Flesh to the Soul'' was released in 2003 with Hansen on vocals and guitars, Lund on guitars, Mikkelsen, who had rejoined the band, on bass, and Jakob Gundel, also known for his work with Danish melodic death metal act Withering Surface and American progressive metal act Lord Bane, on drums. ''Through the Flesh to the Soul'' is more melodic and modern in sound than the preceding albums and also more straightforward with more fast parts. The music is still technical and somewhat complex with some
polyrhythm Polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another, or as simple manifestations of the same meter. The rhythmic layers may be the basis of an entire piece of music (cross-rhyth ...
ic sections. After another hiatus, the band went on tour in Denmark with Raunchy and The Burning in 2010 in the Danish leg of the '' Headbangers Ball Tour'' with Perle Hansen having rejoined the band. Most of their set consisted of tracks from ''Weave the Apocalypse'' and ''Dying to Live'' with the title track of ''Through the Flesh to the Soul'' and the title track of ''Excursion Demise'' being the only tracks from the two other albums. Invocator were joined onstage by guests Flemming G. Lund, who is now in Raunchy, and Jacob Schulz, who had played in now defunct death metal act Maceration along with Jacob Hansen and
Dan Swanö Dan-Erland Swanö (born 10 March 1973), also known as Dan "The Man" Swanö, is a Swedish musician and record producer who is currently the vocalist, guitarist, ex-bassist and ex-drummer for the band Nightingale, lately vocalist, keyboardist and ...
, which performed under the pseudonym of Day Disyraah, after Schulz had left Invocator.


Discography

Studio albums Demos


References


External links


Official website
(archived)
Invocator at MyspaceJacob Hansen's homepage
{{Authority control Danish thrash metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1986 1986 establishments in Denmark Black Mark Production artists Scarlet Records artists